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If you just follow the tutorial inScum,you’re going to be in for a rough time. While DEENA covers the bare essentials, there’s a lot that she leaves out. The sooner you figure out all the important craftable items that you’re missing, the better the game is going to go for you.
If you’ve just dropped onto the island and aren’t sure what to do, try starting by working toward these goals. You should be able to manage them with a bit of scavenging and some luck… as long as the Puppets and other prisoners don’t get to you first.
Stone (Or Metal) Spear
DEENA shows you how to make a wooden spear, the simplest weapon to craft in the game. It’s better than nothing, but with just a little more effort you’re able to get yourself a much more formidable means of self-defense.
By gathering some extra rope (either made from Small Sticks or Rag Strips), you canmake a proper spearhead, allowing your weapon to inflict much more grievous wounds. Rocks will do just fine for a stone spear, but if you landed near a town you canstrip a car for Metal Scrapand make a metal-tipped spear instead.
Tools like axes and hammers also make fine melee weapons, but using a spear saves having to repair or remake them as often as you won’t be using up durability on enemies.
Stone Axe
If you want to get any sort of base building done, you’re going to need an axe. To make one, you need to firstmake an axe head from stones, then combine it with sticks and rope to complete the tool.
A regular axe head makes a one-handed hatchet, while crafting a larger axe head from bigger stones requires rags as well, and makes a hefty two-handed variant.
Axes do everything that a knife can do, and can alsocut down trees or chop logs into planks. Planks are necessary for nearly everything you’ll need to build at first, so the sooner you’re able to start making them the better.
Hammer
Once you can make planks, the next thing you’ll need is ahammer, which most construction recipes require. A basic hammer can be easily constructed withsticks, rope, and a large stone.You may need to scrounge for rocks a bit before you find one of the correct size; you’re looking forStonesas opposed toSmall Stones, and they only appear roughly half the time when searching.
Not only are hammers used for construction (and, in a pinch, combat), they can also be used tosmash rocks into Stone Tips.This lets you makeStone Arrowsinstead of the basic wooden ones, increasing the likelihood that you’ll drop oncoming enemies without having to switch to melee.
Storage Chest
Scum’s inventory management is ruthless; you can only carry what you have the pockets for, so unless you’re lucky enough to find a backpack or some decent clothes, you’re going to have to be very picky about what you carry. Astorage chestlets you stash your valuable finds all in one place.
If you’re worried about other players stealing your stuff, you canbury chests by using a shovel.
A basic chest should be all you need, though the tricky part will befinding the nails and bolts required.If you’re lucky enough to find two bolts (which is easiest if you search junk cars), it might be worth grabbing some Metal Scrap as well and going for the improved version of the chest.
Tool Box
With your storage problems handled, your next goal should bemaking a tool box.This will requiremore bolts and nails, but with your hammer, some planks, and some extra scrap, you can assemble one relatively easily.
The tool box is necessary forintermediate builds like the well(see below), as well as more specialized storage units like the log shed.
Sewing Kit
Making a sewing kit can be a bit luck-based as youneed to find thread, which you can’t craft on your own, butbeing able to repair your clothes, especially backpacks, can be a huge help.
Once you have thread in hand, you’ll need a needle. you’re able to rarely find one by searching haystacks (very funny, Gamepires), but the easiest way to get a needle is pretty gruesome;kill a Puppet and chop up the bodyto get bones, which you can then carve into needles with a knife.
Fishing Gear
If you’re near the coast, or one of the map’s many rivers, you cangreatly reduce your risk of starvingby learning to fish. Unfortunately, getting all the components of a working fishing rod together takes a lot of scrounging.
Just making a fishing rod and line won’t cut it; youalso need a hook, floater, and reel, plus some bait. You can find bait easily enough bysearching rotten logs for bugs, but the other components require very specific ingredients. The floater and reel each needcorks, needles, and nails, while the hook needs to be fashioned from asoda can.
Those are all pretty rare items, so if you find any laying around,protect them like gold.Once you can start fishing,set up a campfireand get cooking.
Well
A bad starting location can see youfar from any fresh water, which becomes a problem fast. Eating fruits and vegetables can help stave off dehydration, but securing a water source is vital.
Plan the location of your well carefully, since itrequires full-sized logs. You’re limited to walking while carrying them, and can only haul one at a time. Once it’s finished, you candrink directly from the well, or use it to refill water bottles.
